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<br>Ode To Wine<br> <br> Day-colored wine,<br>night-colored wine,<br>wine with purple feet<br>or wine with topaz blood,<br>wine,<br>starry child<br>of earth,<br>wine, smooth<br>as a golden sword,<br>soft<br>as lascivious velvet,<br>wine, spiral-seashelled<br>and full of wonder,<br>amorous,<br>marine;<br>never has one goblet contained you,<br>one song, one man,<br>you are choral, gregarious,<br>at the least, you must be shared.<br>At times<br>you feed on mortal<br>memories;<br>your wave carries us<br>from tomb to tomb,<br>stonecutter of icy sepulchers,<br>and we weep<br>transitory tears;<br>your<br>glorious<br>spring dress<br>is different,<br>blood rises through the shoots,<br>wind incites the day,<br>nothing is left<br>of your immutable soul.<br>Wine<br>stirs the spring, happiness<br>bursts through the earth like a plant,<br>walls crumble,<br>and rocky cliffs,<br>chasms close,<br>as song is born.<br>A jug of wine, and thou beside me<br>in the wilderness,<br>sang the ancient poet.<br>Let the wine pitcher<br>add to the kiss of love its own.<br><br>My darling, suddenly<br>the line of your hip<br>becomes the brimming curve<br>of the wine goblet,<br>your breast is the grape cluster,<br>your nipples are the grapes,<br>the gleam of spirits lights your hair,<br>and your navel is a chaste seal<br>stamped on the vessel of your belly,<br>your love an inexhaustible<br>cascade of wine,<br>light that illuminates my senses,<br>the earthly splendor of life.<br><br>But you are more than love,<br>the fiery kiss,<br>the heat of fire,<br>more than the wine of life;<br>you are<br>the community of man,<br>translucency,<br>chorus of discipline,<br>abundance of flowers.<br>I like on the table,<br>when we&#039;re speaking,<br>the light of a bottle<br>of intelligent wine.<br>Drink it,<br>and remember in every<br>drop of gold,<br>in every topaz glass,<br>in every purple ladle,<br>that autumn labored<br>to fill the vessel with wine;<br>and in the ritual of his office,<br>let the simple man remember<br>to think of the soil and of his duty,<br>to propagate the canticle of the wine.<br><br>Pablo Neruda

Chardonnay is a grape that most everyone is familiar with and most wine drinkers love it. Originally from the Burgundy Region of France, chardonnay is now planted all across the World with great success.

Chardonnay wines are often inarticulate in youth but will blossom with time producing complex aromas of nuts and butter, toast and cream, wild mushrooms and meadow flowers. Their structure while dry can offer great richness with a wide variety of tastes including; lemon, melon peach and apple while still imparting the same creamy, nutty, buttery notes in the wines aroma.

Chardonnays from California often have a silkiness to them with great substance of flavor combined with high alcohol levels and a ripe, fruity character.

Australian chardonnays tend to range from the rich, pollen scented, fiery Hunter Valley chardonnays to the tapered elegance of the chardonnays from Mornington Peninsula and Adelaide Hills.

"Il barone da vino" (the king of the wines). This is how Italians describe the barolo, which is extracted from the choicest Nebbiolo grapes grown in Cuneo, Piedmont in Italy. Legend has it during the 19th century that the barolo is a prized magical potion, perhaps owing to its aroma and full-bodied flavor.

The barolo has the color of crimson with a touch of orange when aged, and the fragrance of roses, violets, strawberries, truffles, and tar. Barolo is crisp, snappy, acrid, and has a high tannin and alcohol content. According to wine connoisseurs, barolo is best when it is aged. Like a king metamorphosing from a seasoned warrior to a champion of the masses, this kingly wine mellows as it sees through the passing of time. To ensure quality, wineries do not release barolo until it is three years old. Once it reaches its fifth year, it will be called a riserva.

Think of elegant red wines, and I assume Brunello will be part of the list--I mean, on top of the list. Made from the clone of Sangiovese grapes--Sangiovese Grosso--Brunello is velvety in texture, dark red in color, and rich in flavor; therefore, it's not quite surprising that Brunello has become the favorite of wine collectors and even dignitaries.

Looking at the History

It was in the late 19th century that Brunello came into existence, thanks to Clement Santi, the original Brunello-maker. Santi then was doing experiments with Sangiovese Grosso grapes and concocted a concentrated, aromatic, and good ageing wine variety, which would later become the Brunello wine we are so enamored with today. Since then, more Brunello producers appeared until it became so famous in Italy and other parts of the world.

The Secret of Success

Combine good climate, quality fruits, and excellent ageing process, and you'll have Brunello. This 150-year old wine is aged for about four to five years to assure quality and great flavor. And oh, by the way, Brunello is quite expensive, but the satisfaction you'll get is certainly worth the price.

If you are in the Los Angeles area (I know how large of an area that is) and know of events/tastings in L.A. that you plan on attending please let us know. I'm sure we are all going to bump into one another at some point in time so let's get started! Or, if you have a secret wine shop that is near and dear to your heart here in L.A., let us know about it.